Another Flu Season

One thing we are so good at is overreacting...swine flu being one of the examples. Yes, we all have to be cautious but goodness, a pandemic? I noticed that north Alabama has followed suit to Texas and canceled some events due to taking precautions against a spread of the virus. According to the CDC website this morning there was no reports of the virus in Alabama. Two cases were under investigation from an elementary school, while most of the other cases from the same school had tested negative for the virus. I'm not saying those two particular cases won't have the virus, which I pray will also be negative, but I am saying it seems a little extreme to cancel normal activities for two cases that have not even been confirmed. That seems a bit of an overreaction to me. The influenza virus has new strands every single year and according to the Word of God, this type of thing will be more and more common...
The prophet Habbakuk speaks of the plague and pestilence that comes to nations. But if you look closer to the end of Chapter 3, he speaks of the greatness of our God, the One we can trust to take care of us in desperate times. He makes our feet like the feet of a deer and enables us to walk on the heights. He alone is our great strength.
Thank God we have an assurance that we will be okay when everyone else is crying for fear that the worst has come upon them. Our best medicine is:

1. Trust the Lord with all our hearts
2. Be sensible and take necessary steps to ensure your good health
3. DON'T get caught up in the heat of the moment and overreact because of others reactions

The Lord Most High is still Sovereign and in control! His name remains Jehovah Rapha!

After Spring Break

Wow was it a busy one! Now I need a break and thankfully the two younger ones are off to the farm with Nana and Papa for a few days...smiles! I have a ton of paperwork I need to catch up on but haven't taken the time to dig into it. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Gonna catch up on some rest first. Don't we all think better and more clearly when we're rested? I am looking forward to summer with the children though. There are only six weeks of school left and we will be able to enjoy ourselves without the hassle of normal mundane routine. I like breaking routines and traditions...its very freeing to me.

On a more serious note, I have added a tag with words you might find enlightening if used enough. I don't change them everyday because it allows me to actually get familiar with each word and practice using it daily...quite challenging really and fun if you like expressing yourself in new ways. I've had more than a few looks from my family while trying to incorporate these new words into my vocabulary. Maybe they'll start to think I'm a little smart!

I've also had a tag on the sidebar of suggested reading/viewing. Its been there for a while so most of you probably overlook it, however there is one book I had listed in the past that I would like to give a shout out to. I have recently picked it up for the second reading, in which I don't normally read books a second time unless using them for references. But this particular one is important. If you've ever done any Bible studies by Beth Moore then you know how great of a teacher she is. "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things" is of such relevance to our current day. Its shocking of how many people I've been in discussion with that are struggling with things they never thought possible in their lives. Thank God the Lord is not shocked. Concerned and grieved, yes I'm sure He is but not shocked. Please consider giving this book a good reading or find it on CD or something...its worth it. Allow me to give you a small taste:
"Not everyone in a stonghold of sin is having a good time. Many people who by the grace of God have never been "had" by the devil wrongly assume that all departures from godliness are nothing but defiance, rebellion, and proofs of inauthenticity. They have no idea of the suffering involved when someone with a genuine heart for God slips from the path. Tangling with a roaring lion who is trying his hardest to devour you can constitute real and authentic suffering. Not unlike the temptations Satan hurled at Christ, they can vary in type, but one thing is for sure: They are tailor-made to catch the believer off guard."

We are living in an undeniable age of seduction like has never been seen in the Christian community. Its ugly but its real and we must deal with it, whether we find ourselves experiencing these things or another individual we know and love. Can we please shake ourselves again and take a closer look at where we are? I don't want to find myself in the situation of Samson and look back with great regrets. God help us to be overcomers. Help us to protect the word of our testimony. Next to the blood of Jesus Christ, our testimony is one of our greatest threats to the enemy. Father shed your light on our hearts today and hold us in your hands while we engage this foe.

Learning from Galatians...

Galatians Ch.5
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. You were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love.

The acts of the sinful nature are: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery(excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures), idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions(strong disagreement usually of a violent nature), factions(people that join together to form a cohesive usually contentious minority within a larger group to cause strife), envy...notice jealousy has already been mentioned...so what is the difference? Envy is a feeling of discontent in regard to another's advantages and possessions. It is usually accompanied with some degree of hatred. It denotes a longing to possess something belonging to another, while jealousy denotes a feeling of resentment that another has gained something that you rightfully deserve. Jealousy is born out of fear. It fears rivalry, unfaithfulness, anything that could affect one's individual happiness. Also mentioned are drunkenness, orgies, and the "like" meaning rowdy parties, any actions that proceed unbridled indulgence of passions. Some of these acts listed here are obvious to us as sins while some are not so obvious...like the selfish ambition, the jealousy, hatred. Looks to me that this type of freedom is no freedom at all. These acts all lead to being enslaved and eventually to our deaths.

But the fruit(character traits) of the Spirit is: love, joy(intense happiness...deep within the heart that can be felt even though outward circumstances are not pleasant), peace, patience(composure and willingness to suppress annoyance when confronted with pain, delay, or misfortune), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these traits because they are born from a life lead by love.

Acts are things we physically do, deeds, behavior performed or carried out. Fruit is produced from the seeds that have been planted and cultivated in our hearts and minds. It is usually sweet and edible. Fruit grows above ground where everyone can see and take a taste test. Fruit is what is produced from actions taken earlier. I realize we are all prone to carry out the deeds of the sin nature but I want to challenge each of us to take a closer look at these two groups. Our only way to freedom is through the Holy Spirit. The only course of action we should be taking...joining our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ and allowing Him to produce the right qualities in us that will help others to finally see who He really is. In this great process, we learn that life is an awesome gift and He has made us to be overcomers of evil desires. Talk about a great adventure!